PHC refuses bail to official in tax refund scam

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursdayagain refused bail to former commissioner Income Tax Department, Abbottabad, Asif Haider Orakzai in an income tax refund scam.
The accused was arrested on March 25, 2015 for preparing bogus income tax refunds in 2008-9 by collecting signed cheques from victims of the 2005 earthquake. It was suspected that the accused deposited the cheques in their own bank accounts.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan refused bail to the former commissioner Income Tax Department as he had applied for bail on fresh grounds.
The NAB had also filed a corruption reference worth Rs83.3 million against seven suspects, including the petitioner. The court also refused bail to two other accused arrested by NAB KP in a fraud case on the pretext of Islamic mood of business called Madariba.
The bench refused bail to Shahid Ahmad Khan, chief executive of Galaxy Star Company Limited, Sajahad Gul, an employee in the company. The NAB KP stated that it had received claims of millions of rupees against the accused persons so far.